Food & Fun Nov. 21-27: Concerts, holiday fun, theater and an art show in Cocoa Beach
Down by the river
After the interaction with relatives, the eating and the Black Friday crazies, you'll need a break, and some of Brevard’s top musical artists are ready to help.
They’re young, mind you, but they are very talented, as you will see when you attend “Music on the River,” the Cocoa Beach concert series that showcases rising musical stars.
The afternoon of music begins at 3:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 25, at Riverside Presbyterian, 3400 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach.
In the spotlight are brother saxophonists Michael and Marlin Rhodeman; pianist siblings, Caspian and Darya Chaharom and vocalists Carley Spradlin and Shannon Reid. These young artists will perform songs by Richard Rodgers, Billy Joel, Glenn Miller, Claude Debussy, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more. A third Rhodeman brother, Matthew, will paint during the concert.
Pre-concert entertainment will be provided by the Dick-Doc Duo on violin and piano.
The concert is free, with a suggested donation of $10. The concerts are a partnership between Riverside Presbyterian Church, the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra and the Creative Arts Foundation of Brevard, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting young performers through grants, tuition assistance and performance opportunities.
For more information, call 321-604-0103 or visit CAFOB.org.
A Christmas story
Hear the 60-voice Brevard Chorale and Vocal Choral Ensemble tell the story of Christmas during concerts that help kick off the holiday season in Titusville and Cocoa. The Chorale is one of two community choruses sponsored by the Department of Performing and Visual Arts at Eastern Florida State College.
Under the direction of James Boyles, the group will perform “Agnus Dei,” or “Lamb of God,” at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 28, at the Community Church of the Great Outdoors RV Nature and Golf Resort, 144 Plantation Drive, Titusville, and again at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Eastern Florida State College’s Simpkins Fine Arts Auditorium.
Featured soloists are Jim Seidel, Bob Yost, Sally Boyles, Linda Cox and C.H. Hibbard. Bill Trudeau narrates, accompanied by an orchestra of piano, strings, brass, woodwinds and percussion
The Titusville performance is free, while tickets for the Cocoa show are $10 for adults and $5 for students.
For more information, call 321-501-0833 or visit BrevardChorale.org.
It’s beginning to look like Christmas
The Space Coast Symphony will help the Avenue Viera officially begin the holiday season with “Holiday for Everyone” at 6 p.m., Friday, Nov. 23, in from the AMC Avenue 16 movie theater complex.
Starring 18 young musicians from the Symphony’s Quartet Movement youth outreach program, the concert celebrates the annual lighting of the Avenue’s 35-foot Christmas tree.
"The musicians of Quartet Movement are excellent players, and the day after Thanksgiving everyone is ready to hear the beautiful music that is only played at this special time of year,” said Symphony artistic director Aaron Collins.
For more information, call 855-252-7276 or visit SpaceCoastSymphony.org.
“Black Furday”
It is an unfortunate fact that black dogs and cats tend to be overlooked in favor of their more colorful cousins by prospective adopters. For that reason, the Brevard Humane Society is offering a “Black Furday” special of 25 percent off adoption fee for any animal wearing black.
The Society will also launch its “12 Strays of Christmas” on Facebook. Each day of the campaign, one of the shelter’s long-term residents is highlighted in hopes of finding them a home for the holidays. Adoption fees for each featured animal is $50 for dogs and $15 for cats.
For more details, call 321-636-3343 or visit brevardhumanesociety.org.
It’s a wonderful story
“It’s a Wonderful Life,” that perennial Christmas favorite, opens as a stage musical Nov. 23 at Titusville Playhouse, 301 Julia St.
Based on the 1946 film, the adaptation breathes musical life into the faithful retelling of the story of George Bailey and his quest to discover if his life actually mattered.
Tickets are $21 to $29 with performances at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. There are also 2 p.m. matinees on Saturdays, Dec. 1, 8 and 15, and an 8 p.m. show on Thursday, Dec. 13. The show runs through Dec. 16.
For tickets and information, call 321-268-1125 or visit titusvilleplayhouse.com.
Dude, it’s art!
The quintessential beach town of Cocoa Beach devotes Thanksgiving weekend to art, music and food for the Cocoa Beach Art Show. Hours for this perfect weekend of art and street parties runs from 5:30 to 11 p.m., Friday, Nov. 23; 9 a.m. until 11 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 24; and 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 25. More than 150 artists from around the country are expected to participate.
It’s fun and free and by the beach. What more could you want?
See CocoaBeachArtShow.com for more details.
Friends and family
Take time from Cocoa Beach Art Show to visit “Friends & Family,” the newest exhibition at the Studios of Cocoa Beach, 165 Minuteman Causeway.
The show, geared toward the gallery’s membership, launches with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m., Friday, Nov. 23. Studio artists are also encouraged to invite a friend to share their studio space, resulting in a mix of painting, jewelry, pottery, sculpture, watercolors, photographer fiber art, printmaking and more by more than 40 local artists.
Meet the artists and enjoy wine and food bites. One lucky attendee will win “Dancer Dolly,” a fiber art doll created by Studios member Linda Geiger.
The Studios Holiday Shoppe will offer variety of reasonably priced art for holiday gift giving.
“Friends & Family” runs through Nov. 21.
For more information, call 321-613-3480 or visit studiosofcocoabeach.org.
Email toastofthecoastfloridatoday@gmail.com.